For the first time, Google has opened its mouth against the patent trolling by Apple (and by proxy, Microsoft) against Android manufacturers. By way of Eric Schmidt, Google's chairman, the company took stand against the legal actions, and stated they aren't too worried. If need be, Google will ensure HTC doesn't lose the patent case against Apple.

This is claim one from that patent (7,978,176). The bold parts are the interesting bits.

A computer-implemented method, comprising: at a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display and one or more accelerometers, displaying information on the touch screen display in a portrait view or a landscape view based on an analysis of data received from the one or more accelerometers; detecting a predetermined finger gesture on or near the touch screen display while the information is displayed in a first view, wherein the first view is one of the portrait view and the landscape view; in response to detecting the predetermined finger gesture, displaying the information in a second view and locking the display of information in the second view, wherein the second view is the other of the portrait view and the landscape view; and unlocking the display of information in the second view in response to a determination that the device is placed in an orientation where the second view matches an orientation of the display based on an analysis of data received from the one or more accelerometers.

His prior art does not apply... at all (he updated his post and admitted as much). Lets break this down:

1. Does this patent claim apply to the use of accelerometers to determine screen orientation? No
2. Does this patent claim apply to automatic orientation changes in and of themselves? No
3. Does this patent claim apply to a non-touch screen device? No
4. Does this patent apply to a touch screen device with automatic screen orientation detection based on accelerometers that uses a gesture system to both override the current screen orientation and lock the new orientation based on the use of a specific gesture and do the reverse process? YES

As far as I am aware there is no prior art for this at all (nothing I have ever seen anyway). It isn't even implemented in iOS yet. There is nothing infringing on it either (unless someone has seen this implemented before).

Is this innovative? I personally don't think so. There is nothing new here except the gesture bit, and that is kind of obvious in my opinion. Again, this points out the problems with the patent system, you can add one obvious thing to something everyone is already doing and you get to claim it as your own. Why should Apple "own" the idea of a gesture that switches/locks orientation? Is this not extremely obvious? Its probably something that most iOS or Android users have thought of at one time or another...

I take a difference stance from most on this - I want to see patent law reformed, I don't have a pet company. I don't take Apple or Microsoft or Google or whoever using patents as baseball bats a sign of bad behavior - it is a sign of a bad system. Blaming companies with power, money, and talent for taking advantage of the patent system is exactly like blaming people (rich or poor) for taking advantage of the tax system to save themselves money...

As long as the system is setup to let them do so they will take advantage of it. You can't setup a system like this and expect good behavior... Its like the government saying "Hey look guys, if you do this and this and this you get this shiny gold carrot over here - it perfectly legal, the rules are even setup to encourage it.. But it might be unpopular with those pesky people hung up over morality since it doesn't jive with what most people consider good behavior, so do whatever you makes you sleep better at night." How do you expect things to turn out?

I take a difference stance from most on this - I want to see patent law reformed, I don't have a pet company. I don't take Apple or Microsoft or Google or whoever using patents as baseball bats a sign of bad behavior - it is a sign of a bad system. Blaming companies with power, money, and talent for taking advantage of the patent system is exactly like blaming people (rich or poor) for taking advantage of the tax system to save themselves money...

The thing is that something legal doesn't make it "right". At least morally/ethically.

There is no perfect system as there will always be ways to overcome or cheat it. Therefore the problem is not the system itself(because any system is,by definition, imperfect) but the society using it. Some might argue that society isn't perfect either but... isn't that the whole point? that us, as a society, become "better"?